Verbena plant named ‘KLEVE04342’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘KLEVE04342’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to trailing and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; large and numerous violet-colored flowers with pale yellow-colored centers and with flowers held above and beyond the foliage; and resistance to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEVE04342’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbenaplant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘KLEVE04342’.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Camden, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new compact Verbena cultivars with largeand attractive flowers.

The new Verbena originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin 2001 of a proprietary Verbena hybrida selection identified as01.545.1, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number01.515.1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivarKLEVE04342 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in Camden, New South Wales, Australia in 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Camden, New South Wales, Australia since 2002,has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘KLEVE04342’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘KLEVE04342’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact and trailing plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.    -   3. Large and numerous violet-colored flowers with pale        yellow-colored centers and with flowers held above and beyond        the foliage.    -   4. Resistance to Powdery Mildew.

Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the parentselections in flower size as plants of the parent selections havesmaller flowers. In addition, plants of the new Verbena differ fromplants of the parent selections in flower color as plants of the femaleparent selection have lavender-colored flowers and plants of the maleparent selection have purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the cultivar StarDream Blue Eye, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inCamden, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Verbena differedfrom plants of the cultivar Star Dream Blue Eye in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena and the cultivar Star Dream Blue        Eye differed in leaf shape.    -   2. Plants of the new Verbena had smaller flowers than plants of        the cultivar Star Dream Blue Eye.    -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and the cultivar Star Dream Blue        Eye differed in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Verbena. The photograph comprises a side perspective view oftypical flowering plants of ‘KLEVE04342’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar KLEVE04342 has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementionedphotograph and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in Stuttgart, Germany, under commercial practice during the springin a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 18° C.to 20° C., night temperatures ranging from 15° C. to 18° C. and lightlevels ranging from 20,000 to 55,000 lux. Plants were about five monthsold when the photograph and description were taken. Plants were pinchedone time. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar KLEVE04342.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Verbena hybrida            selection identified as 01.545.1, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Verbena hybrida            selection identified as code number 01.515.1, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 5 to 8 days at 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 8 to 10 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, summer.—About 14            to 20 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, winter.—About 21            days at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; pale white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Medium branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Compact and trailing plant habit.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous and            freely-branching with lateral branches potentially            developing at every node; dense and bushy growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm to 25 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 cm to 50 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm to 30 cm. Daimeter:            About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm to 7 cm. Texture:            Slightly pubescent. Strength: Moderately strong. Color:            138B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length:            About 2 cm to 3.5 cm. Width: About 2 cm to 2.5 cm. Shape:            Deeply dissected. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Deeply dissected. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Slightly pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:            Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 138A;            venation, 138B. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower            surface: 138B; venation, 138B. Petiole length: About 5 mm to            10 mm. Petiole diameter: About 1 mm. Petiole texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Petiole color, upper            and lower surfaces: 138B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single upright salverform flowers            arranged on compact terminal racemes; flowers sessile.            Freely flowering with about 12 to 15 flowers per raceme.            Inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliage.            Flowers last about one week under greenhouse conditions.            Flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Faint.        -   Flowering season.—In the garden, flowering is continuous            from spring through the fall.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 3 cm to 5 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Depth: About 5 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 mm to 15 mm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Shape: Tubular, columnar. Color: 138B.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower fused at base.            Lobe length: About 5 mm to 15 mm. Lobe width: About 5 mm.            Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color:            When opening, upper surface: 77A; towards the base, 4B. When            opening, lower surface: 77C. Fully opened, upper surface:            83A; towards the base, 4B; color becoming closer to 86A with            development. Fully opened, lower surface: 83D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five, fused into a tube.            Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.            Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Coarse, pubescent. Color, upper and            lower surfaces: 138B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Strength: Strong. Color: Close to 138B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four;            adnate to pistil. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length:            About 1 mm. Anther color: 1C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen            color: 1C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:            About 1.5 cm. Stigma shape: Spherical. Stigma color: 139C.            Style length: About 1.5 cm. Style color: 139D. Ovary color:            139C.        -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistant: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed    to be resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new Verbena have    not been observed to be resistant to pests and other pathogens    common to Verbena.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed    to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about 35°    C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘KLEVE04342’, asillustrated and described.